Frizzell was born in Corsicana, Texas, but moved with his family shortly after his birth to El Dorado, Arkansas, where they remained until the early 1940s. Frizzell began playing the guitar as a very young boy and by age 12, he was appearing regularly on a children's show at a local radio station KELD.
The family moved back to Texas when Frizzell was still a teenager, and his music career got a boost when he won a talent contest in Dallas.
In his late teens, he was performing at fairgrounds and other venues, developing a unique, soulful voice. Like his father, he got work in the oilfields, but his growing popularity as a singer soon gave him regular work on the Honky Tonk nightclub circuit. At age 19, he had a half-hour show on a small Texas radio station, getting a big break when a record producer heard him sing. Signed to Columbia Records, he immediately had a string of hits that broke into country music's top ten; several of them reached # 1. In 1950 , he was invited to perform at the Grand Ole Opry; the following year he appeared on the prestigious Louisiana Hayride radio program that broadcast from Shreveport, Louisiana and then began touring with country music's biggest star of the era, Hank Williams. A prolific songwriter, Frizzell had four songs in the country top ten at the same time in 1951 — a feat that would not be repeated on any chart until The Beatles accomplished it on the pop charts, with five songs in 1964.
By the end of the 1950s, rock and roll was dominating the North American music scene, but although no one would ever mistake Frizzell's music for anything but country, his 1959 hit, " Long Black Veil," gained wide acceptance with a variety of music fans in addition to country, and was the first recording of this "standard." A few years later, Frizzell recorded " Saginaw, Michigan," which took the #1 spot on the country music charts and broke into the pop charts as well. The song earned him a Grammy Award nomination.
In the early 1970s, Frizzell changed record labels and moved to Bakersfield, California, where he recorded several more country music hits and became the first country singer to perform at the Hollywood Bowl. By then, however, his problems with alcoholism were already taking their toll. Mood swings and outbreaks of irrational anger became a trademark, and his constant failure to meet recording commitments strained his relationship with his recording company. In 1972, Lefty Frizzell was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and his song "If You've Got the Money, I've Got the Time" earned him a Grammy Hall of Fame Award. Unfortunately, success and money only added to Frizzell's alcohol addiction, and on July 19, 1975, he suffered a massive stroke and died at age 47. He was buried on "Music Row" at Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens in Goodlettsville, Tennessee.
Travellin' Blues
Lefty Frizzell Lyrics
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I thought my good gal had gone
Well, I woke up this mornin'
She really hadn't done me wrong
I know it's not fair
But my good gal has done caught air
I'm goin' away, leavin' today
If that eight wheel driver
Don't jump the railroad track
I take her from that man
Gonna bring her home if I can
My gal's been triflin' 'round
About a week I know
Several of my friends
Just told me so and so
She's found a new man
And now I can understand
So I'm goin' away, leavin' today
I'm gonna bring my baby back
If that eight wheel driver
Don't jump the railroad track
I take her from that man
Gonna bring her home if I can
Well, it's true, my baby's gone
I know it won't be long
We'll both be on that train
My baby's comin' home again
She's been triflin' 'round
But now she has turned him down
Yeah, I'm goin' away, leavin' today
I'm gonna bring my baby back
If that eight wheel driver
Don't jump the railroad track
I take her from that man
Gonna bring her home if I can
Lefty Frizzell's song "Travellin' Blues" is a classic blues song about a man who dreams that his girlfriend has left him but wakes up relieved that it was just a dream. However, he learns that his girlfriend has been "triflin' 'round" with another man and he is going to leave town and bring her back to him. He hopes that the train that he takes will not have any issues along the way, as he is determined to bring his lover back home, and is motivated to do so after several of his friends informed him of her infidelity. He is willing to fight for their relationship, even though his girlfriend has found herself a new man.
The song's story depicts the classic scenario of a man having to travel long distances to bring his love back to him. The lyrics of the song infuse themes of heartbreak, loss, and sentiments of love being tested. It shows the determination and perseverance of the character, as he overcomes the obstacles in his way to bring his girlfriend back home. Despite his girlfriend's unfaithfulness, he is willing to give her another chance and hopes to bring her back to where they stand a chance of making their love work.
Line by Line Meaning
I had a dream last night
Last night, I dreamt that my girlfriend had left me.
I thought my good gal had gone
In my dream, I believed that my girlfriend had abandoned me.
Well, I woke up this mornin'
When I woke up this morning, I realized that it was just a dream.
She really hadn't done me wrong
In reality, my girlfriend has not betrayed me.
I know it's not fair
Despite this, I am still planning on leaving her.
But my good gal has done caught air
My girlfriend has left me anyways.
I'm goin' away, leavin' today
I have decided to leave today.
I'm gonna bring my baby back
My goal is to win my girlfriend's love back.
If that eight wheel driver
Assuming that the train I'm taking...
Don't jump the railroad track
...doesn't derail.
I take her from that man
If my girlfriend has found a new lover, I'll take her away from him.
Gonna bring her home if I can
My intent is to bring her back home with me.
My gal's been triflin' 'round
Recently, my girlfriend has been unfaithful to me.
About a week I know
I've known about this infidelity for a week now.
Several of my friends
Multiple friends of mine have informed me.
Just told me so and so
They gave me the details on who she was seeing.
She's found a new man
My girlfriend is now romantically involved with another man.
And now I can understand
This information makes my decision to leave her easier.
Well, it's true, my baby's gone
In reality, my girlfriend has indeed left me.
I know it won't be long
However, I expect that she will return soon.
We'll both be on that train
I anticipate that she will be on the train with me.
My baby's comin' home again
I believe that my girlfriend will return to me soon.
But now she has turned him down
I assume that she has ended her new relationship because she wants to return to me.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: ALLEY, SHELLY LEE / RODGERS, JIMMIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
RoyR
on IF YOU
“dance, drink beer and wine“, was censored out and replaced with either “dance to the music fine” or “do the town up fine”, etc. Early TV was very strict.